Making Sunshine
by maddie-mira
Summary: Honey Lemon is enthusiasm and sunlight incarnate, sure to make you smile. But people who shine still have dark days, even if they won't admit it. What happens when Honey Lemon's optimism finally fails her? TadashiXHoney Lemon, related fluff


**Please read and review!**

Honey Lemon was very good at fooling people. She could fake a smile with ease, and she had learned that speaking in a higher voice made her seem more cheerful. Add to that her bright clothes and the way she bounced with every step she took, and she was for all appearances a perpetually happy person.

She had learned the skill from her _mamí_. Her _mamí_ was the person who always took care of people, and never let the trials of life keep her down. Not losing her husband, or being a single mom of two girls, or struggling to get a job with a decent wage. "Life has its storms, _mija_ , and when they come we need to make our own sunshine," she always told Honey Lemon. "We need to make it, and spread it to others as well."

So she followed her _mamí's_ advice. She was optimistic, she was kindhearted, and she had a smile for everyone she talked to. Among her friends, she was the one who always provided light and positivity, who could always pick you up when you were feeling down.

She quickly discovered how exhausting this role was. She loved her friends, but they weren't reliable sources of positivity. Wasabi was obsessed with rules and quick to panic. GoGo was stoic and full of sarcasm, never pulling punches with the things she said. And Fred…he had a positive attitude, but it was overshadowed by his sci-fi mania. Honey Lemon sometimes pondered the meaning of his nickname for her. It had taken Fred much observation and thought to decide on a nickname. She had almost been dubbed Honey Bee; but Fred had changed it to Honey Lemon only an hour after the initial conclusion. She wondered what he had noticed, to add something sour to her nickname. But if he suspected something, he never spoke up.

Tadashi at least was of some help. His easygoing air and his genuine respect for others could stave off fights and quickly make you feel comfortable. Just one of his hugs and sweet smiles was enough to instantly brighten Honey Lemon's day. But he was always holed up in his separate lab space these days.

So Honey Lemon did the best she could on her own. She loved her friends fiercely, and hated to see them unhappy. She _wanted_ to be able to help them. So she smiled, whether or not her heart was in it. She made her actions exaggerated and goofy to provoke laughter. And she comforted her friends when they had problems with their inventions, never letting on about her own difficulties. She could keep it up, she told herself. She was strong enough. She was her _mamí's_ daughter.

Then again, she was also human. And no human was invincible.

ooOoo

Honey Lemon sat in the chair behind her lab station. Taking up most of the space was her usual setup of test tubes, beakers, flasks and other chemistry implements. Her notebook was perched on a little corner of tabletop, as she wrote down the data from her most recent test.

Finishing another sentence, she paused for a moment to remove her glasses and rub at her eyes. She had stayed at the lab longer than ever to get her work done, and the late hour was getting to her. The lab was quiet, with everyone else home for the night, and Honey Lemon welcomed the peace. She didn't expect to find peace at home tonight.

The thought made her pinch the bridge of her nose. She had gotten into an argument with her _hermanita_ , Sofía, that morning. Sofía was only fourteen but already thought about very adult things. With their _mamí_ coming home each night exhausted from her job, Sofía had taken on keeping their apartment clean and learning how to cook. That morning she had taken Honey Lemon to task, demanding to know why she wasn't working part time to make things easier. Honey Lemon had shakily tried to explain that she would if she could, that she was already overloaded with college work. Sofía had just glared at her and asked, "When did school become more important than family?"

The question had torn at Honey Lemon's heart. It was all she could do to excuse herself from the house and catch the bus to SFIT, head down as she rode towards her first class.

Honey Lemon gave herself a shake. _Come on. Make your own sunshine. It'll be ok; she just doesn't understand. Now focus._ She took a deep breath and put her glasses back on. Pulling open a drawer under the counter, she grabbed a fresh pair of gloves. Pulling them on, she stood up and pushed her chair back so she would have room to move around.

She was working with a particularly volatile chemical mixture project tonight. Her Advanced Chemistry professor had assigned it out of the blue, and given the class less than a week to complete it. Now, after days of agonizing, Honey Lemon had finally gotten the components figured out.

At least, she hoped she had. She liked the class; but more than that, she liked her academic scholarship. It was why she could afford SFIT to begin with. It covered tuition for all four years, and was given to only the most prestigious students. If Honey Lemon let her grades slip, her scholarship would go up in smoke.

 _That's not going to happen,_ she told herself firmly. _You're going to get this right. Focus!_ She handled her chemistry tools deftly, measuring and mixing different substances. Now and then she paused to let the mixtures settle, or adjusted the heat on her Bunsen burner. There was something satisfying about watching the many-colored liquids swirl together through her equipment.

Half an hour later, she had a beaker half-filled with a light blue liquid. Slowly she dipped an eyedropper into a vial full of clear liquid—the last ingredient. This was the tricky part. She needed to add just two drops of the substance. No more, no less. If she did this, she would have completed her assignment successfully. If she put too much in…well, she was sure the result would be nothing good.

 _Careful._ She raised the full eyedropper over the beaker. _Just two little drops._ The thumb and two fingers holding the dropper tensed, preparing to squeeze. _You can do this._

Suddenly there was a thump from the back wall. It was muffled, but it cut through the silence of the lab. Honey Lemon turned reflexively towards the noise—just as her fingers squeezed all the liquid from the eyedropper into the beaker.

Honey Lemon's eyes widened. She turned around to see the liquid in the beaker turn a bruised purple color, bubbling as though it had been superheated. She shrieked and ducked underneath the table just as the whole concoction exploded, sending glass and mixture flying. There was the sound of more glass breaking, and then the lab was quiet again.

Honey Lemon crouched under the table, heart beating fast. Slowly she emerged from her shelter, and surveyed the damage.

Glass shards from the beaker littered the table and the floor around her shoes. The force of the explosion had also reduced bits of equipment to pieces, including test tubes and the funnel glass that was the largest piece in her chemistry set. Purple liquid was scattered all over her station.

 _That mixture has corrosive ingredients_ , she realized with panic. The corrosive ingredient was anhydrous ammonia, relatively mild compared to other corrosives; but who knew how much its power had been magnified by the other ingredients. Honey Lemon picked up a shard of glass. Bracing herself to duck, she poked an edge into one of the liquid globs on the table.

Nothing happened. Gingerly, she pushed the liquid to one side until she could see the tabletop underneath it. The space was unmarked.

Honey Lemon's shoulders relaxed just a hair, and she sighed. _Not corrosive enough to damage hard objects. Still, it probably wouldn't mix well with paper…_ her eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no," she breathed. She lunged for the spot where her open notebook sat.

Several small puddles of the mixture were spread out over her notebook. The purple liquid had already eaten through half the pages, reducing the paper to gooey bits.

"No…" She reached for the notebook, and then dropped her hand. She didn't know what the purple liquid would do to her gloves. Instead she sank into her chair, shaking her head. All of her calculations were in that notebook, all the details she had used to find the proper approach to the assignment. "Oh, _Dios, por favor_ , no!"

She had worked so hard to get this project done. She had been _so close_. Now her station was a shambles, and she would have to start over from scratch. Would she have to pay for the broken instruments? Professional chemistry equipment was expensive.

As these thoughts flitted through her head, her shoulders started to shake. She had one day to do her whole assignment all over again. But how could she do that without the proper equipment? Her lab station was a disaster, and she had to clean it up before she left tonight. And when she got home, she would still have to deal with Sofía.

She covered her face with her hands and cried.

ooOoo

Tadashi scribbled another sentence in his notebook, glancing several times at the textbook in front of him. It was a new medical textbook, full of procedures he could code onto Baymax's database. He had been at his desk for nearly two hours now, taking notes.

His cell phone buzzed, making him pause in his work. Picking up the phone, he found a text message.

Aunt Cass: You coming home soon, sweetie?

Tadashi hesitated. He didn't want to stop working. But his eyes were begging for rest, after so much time straining to read the textbook's small print. And if he had the time right, the lab would be closing down in a few minutes anyway. His phone vibrated with another text.

Aunt Cass: Hiro is saying he won't go to bed before you.

Tadashi rolled his eyes. His little brother got that way sometimes, making a competition of who could stay up longer. For all that he was a genius, Hiro was still in many ways a typical thirteen-year-old boy. Tadashi unlocked his phone and sent a quick message back to Aunt Cass.

Me: Just finishing up. I'll be home in a few.

Tadashi pressed send and stood up, rolling the kinks out of his shoulders. Closing the textbook and the notebook, he tucked them both into his backpack. He could continue working at home.

He set his backpack on the edge of the desk so that he could grab his coat. As he pulled the garment on, his backpack tipped to one side and fell to the floor with a thump.

"Whoops," Tadashi muttered. He bent over to pick the bag up.

A scream and the sound of breaking glass made him nearly leap out of his skin. He ran to the door that separated his workspace from the rest of the lab, and slowly pulled it open.

In the stark white light of the main lab, he could see a familiar figure seated behind her chemistry station. "Honey Lemon?" Tadashi's eyes widened. The girl's station was a shambles, littered with broken glass and some kind of purple substance. The girl herself sat hunched in her chair, face in her hands, with the sound of sobs escaping from between her fingers. "Honey!" Tadashi hurried forward.

Honey Lemon looked up. "Tadashi?" Her voice was thick from crying. She swiped at her face, trying to get rid of the tears that streaked her cheeks. "I-I didn't know you were still here."

Tadashi stopped right in front of her, heedless of the glass being crushed under his sneakers. "Honey Lemon, what happened? Are you ok?" He scanned her body for injuries.

Honey Lemon was wiping at her eyes now. "Just a failed experiment. That's all." Her voice grew higher in a weak attempt at optimism. "And I'm…I'm completely…"

Tadashi frowned worriedly when Honey Lemon didn't finish her sentence. "Honey?"

For a few seconds there was silence. Then Honey Lemon whispered, "It's been a very long day."

Tadashi took another step forward. Knowing what he wanted, Honey Lemon scooted over and made room for him on her oversized chair. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What do you mean?" He asked softly.

And just like that, it all flooded out. The fight with Sofía. The ultra-stressful class assignment, and its influence on her scholarship. The explosion and ruin of her hours of work.

Tadashi held Honey Lemon close, letting her cry into his shoulder as she relayed her troubles to him. When she got to the part about the thumping noise that had distracted her, Tadashi's stomach clenched with guilt. He was sure that thump had been his falling backpack.

Eventually Honey Lemon's tears abated. She relaxed into Tadashi's warm embrace, still sniffling.

Tadashi looked down at her. "Why didn't you tell anyone about this earlier? We could have helped, or at least cheered you up."

Honey Lemon shook her head. "I'm the optimist of our group," she murmured, half to herself. "I'm supposed to be uplifting, not stressed or gloomy."

Tadashi's eyebrows drew together. "You're not superhuman, Honey. You're allowed to feel things, just like the rest of us. You're allowed to ask for help." He gave her a squeeze and kissed her temple before standing up. "And I'm going to help you now."

"Tadashi, you really don't have to—"

Tadashi held up a hand. "A friend helps his friends when they need it. And a boyfriend certainly helps his girlfriend out." He was pleased to see the smile that curved Honey Lemon's lips at the last statement. "Now, where do they keep the brooms around here?"

Together they swept up the glass shards around and on the tabletop. The shards went into a chemical resistant trash bag, as did the cloths they used to wipe up the purple liquid. With the broken glass cleared away, Honey Lemon could see that most of her chemistry set was still useable. That gave her some comfort, even if she would still have to deal with the broken pieces.

When the station was clean, Tadashi insisted on giving Honey Lemon a ride home. She held tightly to him as they sped through the streets on his moped, hoping dearly that her little sister was asleep by now. When they reached her house, Tadashi parked his moped and walked her to the stairs below her door. The windows of the house were dark, confirming that the people inside were likely asleep.

Tadashi turned to face Honey Lemon. "How you doing?" He asked. "For real. 'I'm fine' is completely unhelpful in this case."

Honey Lemon smiled, her eyes now dry. "I'm better than I was," she said with a deep breath. "Thanks, Tadashi." She took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Anytime," he replied, squeezing back. "Remember, we can fix this. Things are going to be fine." Then he stepped forward, and pressed his lips to hers in a slow kiss.

Tadashi was a sweet guy, but he usually didn't opt for public moments of intimacy. Or didn't initiate them, at least. So Honey Lemon was startled for a moment by his bold move. Then the moment passed, and she closed her eyes, savoring the feel of their lips moving together.

After a few seconds, Tadashi pulled away. "Things are going to be fine," he repeated with a gentle smile.

Honey Lemon nodded. "Thank you." She released his hand. "Goodnight."

"Night." Tadashi watched as Honey Lemon climbed the stairs to her house and unlocked the door. When he was sure she had gotten in ok, he got on his moped and sped home.

Aunt Cass was in the kitchen. Tadashi greeted her briefly and went up to his and Hiro's shared room. He dropped his backpack by his bed, barely hearing the jab Hiro sent his way. "Go to sleep, knucklehead."

He sat down on his bed, and pulled out his phone. Opening his texts, he sent a group message.

Me: We have a problem.

Green Giant: It's late, man. Can't this wait?

Me: No.

Fredzilla: Is it more important than my new comic book?

Me: A lot more important.

Tomagogo: Spit it out, Hamada. What do you want?

Me: It's Honey Lemon.

He had their attention now. Speech bubbles started popping up on his phone screen in rapid-fire.

Tomagogo: What about her?

Fredzilla: Is she ok?

Green Giant: Did something happen?

Me: I found her crying in the lab tonight. Turns out she's been carrying a lot of stressful stuff around today.

Fredzilla: Poor Honey!

Tomagogo: Why didn't she tell us?

Me: That's the problem. When she saw me, she tried to act like nothing was wrong. She's got this idea that she's the cheerful one in our group, and that she has to be cheerful all the time.

Green Giant: Well, she IS the most cheerful of us. But that doesn't mean she should fake it.

Me: Agreed.

Green Giant: Why does she feel like she has to fake it? Doesn't she trust us with her real feelings?

Me: I don't think it works like that. You know Honey Lemon, she wants to take care of people. She wants to be a source of happiness.

Fredzilla: We could be sources of happiness too!

Tomagogo: But we're not.

Fredzilla: What?

Tomagogo: Don't get me wrong; we're not a bunch of downers…

Green Giant: Except maybe you, sometimes.

GoGo didn't snap back at Wasabi, which Tadashi thought was remarkable restraint on her part. Instead she continued her thought.

Tomagogo: We're not total downers, but we don't bring in the kind of cheer that Honey Lemon does. She's always encouraging us, and listening to us, and trying to make us feel better. When was the last time we put in that kind of effort?

The message bubbles disappeared, the text equivalent of silence, as GoGo's words sank in. Tadashi could almost see his friend's faces as they mulled it over. As for him, the words settled like a lead weight in his chest. He had failed to see when Honey Lemon's happiness might be forced. And he had caused the accident that tipped her over the edge tonight. What kind of sorry excuse for a boyfriend was he?

Finally new messages started popping up on his phone.

Green Giant: We are such jerks.

Fredzilla: Really, really big jerks.

Green Giant: How much do you think we missed?

Tomagogo: Bottom line: we can't let this keep going.

Green Giant: We can make it up to her! Show her we're here for her!

Fredzilla: Ooh, I feel an epic planning session coming on!

Tadashi smiled.

Me: Exactly what I was thinking.

ooOoo

Honey Lemon turned off the burner under a pan of scrambled eggs. Picking up the pan and a wooden spoon, she walked to the kitchen table, where three plates with toast and chopped strawberries on them sat. She spooned equal servings of eggs onto each plate, then set the empty pan in the sink, filling it with water to soak off the egg residue. " _Desayuno esta listo!"_ She called. "Come and get it!"

Her _mamí_ , Mariana Gonzalez, was the first to appear in the doorway. She was shortly joined by Sofía. The two of them took seats at the table. " _Gracias por cocinar, mija,_ " She said to Honey Lemon. "It looks delicious."

" _Gracias,_ " Sofía agreed quietly.

" _De nada_." Honey Lemon took the one empty seat, and picked up her fork. "Dig in!"

As she and her family ate, Honey Lemon became aware of the glances Sofía was sending her from across the table. When her eyes snagged Sofía's, Sofía quickly looked down, focusing intently on her plate. Honey Lemon shrugged.

It wasn't a large breakfast, and soon everyone was done. Honey Lemon collected the plates and silverware and took them to the sink. She scrubbed each item and then stuck it in the dishwasher. Then she gave the egg pan the same treatment.

"Ok," Honey Lemon breathed. She went to her room and pulled on shoes and a sweater. She twisted her hair into a bun. Then she grabbed her school bag and slung it over one shoulder. As she did so, she took a deep breath. She had some issues to deal with at the lab; but she was determined to stay positive. She was strong. Last night had been just a temporary lapse.

Ready to go, she left her room and closed the door. She strode down the hallway and through the kitchen. " _Hasta luego,_ " she waved to her _mamí_ and _hermana_. " _Te amo!_ " She reached the front door and started to open it.

But as she was twisting the doorknob, a hand landed on her wrist. " _Carnala?"_ A familiar voice asked tentatively.

Honey Lemon turned to look at Sofía. " _Sí?_ "

Sofía lowered her hand. "I kind of messed up my facts when I was…saying things to you yesterday. She scuffed her foot on the floor. "It's dumb to tell you to get a job, because you already work."

Honey Lemon blinked. "I do?"

Sofía nodded. "You cook and help around the house. And…you definitely bring lots work home from school. So maybe I was, was possibly wrong, to fight with you…"

A weight lifted from Honey Lemon's shoulders. " _Somos hermanas_. It's our job to fight." She placed a kiss on Sofía's forehead. "I have to go. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone," she said with a smile.

Sofía winked. "I won't; that's your department!"

Honey Lemon laughed, and slipped out the front door.

From her place at the table, Ms. Gonzalez smiled. " _Gracias a Dios, por una hija que puede disculparse, y una hija que puede perdonar_ ," she murmured.

ooOoo

Honey Lemon stepped into the lab, her heels making a clicking sound that was barely audible over the noise of other students' projects. She looked around, expecting to see her friends hard at work. To her surprise, none of them were present.

She tilted her head in thought, and then shrugged. Maybe they were in class; she could never quite get their schedules right. One never knew when Fred would show up, since he was studying English at a different school. As for Tadashi, he was probably holed up in his separate lab space…but it was better not to disturb him. He was so fixated on his mysterious project.

With that conclusion, Honey Lemon headed over to her station, turning her head away from what was surely a travesty of broken things. She set her bag down in a corner, and donned her lab coat. Then she turned to assess the damage to her equipment.

Her mouth dropped open. Every piece was intact, and seemed to have been polished to a shine. Even the steel frame that held up the funnel gleamed. Honey Lemon peered closer to be sure she wasn't seeing things, stepping slowly from left to right as she examined each piece.

 _Not a single crack anywhere._ Something golden brown caught her eye as she reached the end of the equipment, and she glanced down at it. A poppy seed muffin sat on top of a napkin, with a note tucked underneath it. Her eyes widened. She picked up the note and started to read.

 _Dear Honey,_

 _Thought you could use a little pick-me-up; I know you like Aunt Cass's muffins. I contacted Professor Callaghan about your broken equipment; hope you don't mind. He agreed to replace the equipment. In fact, he insisted on giving you a whole new set. Apparently there's a whole room full of extra chemistry tools, for when students' experiments go wrong. That's useful information, huh?_

 _I'd be telling you this in person, but something came up with Hiro that I had to take care of. I'll be back at the lab soon, though. Hope you enjoy the muffin!_

 _-Tadashi_

Honey Lemon clasped the note against her chest, grinning. _I guess last night's breakdown wasn't all bad._ She folded the note and placed it carefully in her dress pocket. She picked up the muffin and took a bite, savoring the taste of the soft pastry. She took two more bites and then set it back on the napkin. As she did, she noticed a folded piece of paper on the left side of the napkin.

Curious, she picked it up and unfolded it. A message was written in slanted calligraphy.

 _The game is afoot. Do your best to look innocent. Make your way to Ms. Tamago's bike._

Honey Lemon's eyebrows shot up. "What the…" She hadn't expected this when she came into the lab. Should she play along? What if there was a catch?

After a minute of thinking, Honey Lemon's curiosity won out. She put the note in her pocket, and strolled over to GoGo's station. GoGo's bike hung from its metal frame, as usual. Taped to the side of one wheel was a keychain with a honey pot charm, and another folded paper. Honey detached both items from the wheel, and read the message on the paper.

 _Congratulations; you have completed the first step. Take this note and keychain, and keep it with you. Proceed to the station of Sir Wasabi._

 _Sir_ Wasabi? Chuckling despite her confusion, Honey Lemon dropped both items into her lab coat and did as the note said. On Wasabi's work table, carefully marked, was another note and a teacup keychain charm.

 _The next part of this hunt can be found in Mr. Lee's resting place._

Honey Lemon could only think of one "resting place" in the lab for Fred. Sure enough, when she checked his armchair, she found another note and a charm with a daffodil, her favorite flower.

 _You are nearing the end of the game. Return to your station, and check under the napkin._

Honey Lemon raised an eyebrow. Nevertheless, she went back to her station, and lifted the napkin there, muffin and all. Underneath it was a simple key, the tiniest scrap of paper taped to it.

Honey Lemon set the muffin aside and picked up the key. She detached the note and read it, lips moving silently.

 _Unlock the door._

 _What door?_ Honey Lemon bit her lip. Someone was clearly messing with her; it didn't take a genius to figure that out. But where was this hunt leading her? And who had done it all?

Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Honey!" Honey Lemon looked up to see Tadashi stride through the lab doors, heading her way. Her eyes flicked from him to the muffin on her table, and then back to him. Suspicion welled up inside of her.

Tadashi stopped by Honey Lemon's station. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Did you like the muffin?"

Honey Lemon smiled back. "It's great. And thanks for emailing Professor Callaghan about this," she waved to her chemistry set. "You're a real lifesaver!" She emphasized the statement with a kiss on Tadashi's cheek.

Tadashi's smile became just a tad goofy, as a pleased blush dusted his face. "No problem."

Honey Lemon laughed at her boyfriend's expression. Then she put her hands on her hips. "All of that was great, but tell me…are you the one responsible for the game?"

Tadashi's smile shrank. "Game?"

"The whole thing with the notes?" Honey Lemon raised an eyebrow.

Tadashi blinked. "I only left you one note. What are you talking about?"

"Someone set me up on a scavenger hunt to find these charms, and this key." She pulled the objects out of her pocket and showed them to Tadashi.

Tadashi's gaze skimmed over the charms. "Hey, those are pretty cute."

"They are!" Honey Lemon agreed. "I just wish I knew who…Tadashi?" She asked uncertainly, as a frown crossed the young man's face.

"Honey, can I take a look at that key?" His gaze was fixed on said object.

"Sure." Honey Lemon handed the key over.

Tadashi brought the key close to his face. His eyes narrowed. When he looked at Honey Lemon again, his frown was even more pronounced. "Honey Lemon, this is my key."

Honey Lemon squinted at him. "What?"

"It's a key for my lab room. I got it after a couple times that people accidentally locked me in from the outside. I usually lock up each time I leave. Actually, I thought I had this key on me today."

Honey Lemon's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Are you sure it's yours?"

Tadashi nodded. "Positive. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"The note that was attached to the key," she held the scrap of paper out. "It says, 'Open the door.' Whoever set this up, they want me to go in your lab space."

Tadashi eyed the key nervously. "That's…weird."

Honey Lemon nodded, and bit her lip. "What the heck is going on?"

Tadashi appeared to think for a moment, and then sighed. "Only one way to find out." He handed the key back to Honey Lemon, and led her over to his door.

Honey Lemon stared at him. "Are you sure?"

Tadashi shrugged. "How else are we going to find out what this is all about?"

Honey Lemon blinked, and then forced a smile for positivity's sake. "Ok. Here goes nothing." She inserted the key into the lock, and pushed the door open.

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices made Honey Lemon jump back in shock. Tadashi laughed and steered her into the room, closing the door behind her.

"W-what…" Honey Lemon stared at her friends, who were all gathered in the middle of the room. "What is this?"

"Well," Fred put a hand on the back of his neck. "We heard about what happened to you last night."

Honey Lemon's eyes immediately went to Tadashi. "You _told_ them?" She squeaked.

"Guilty as charged." Despite his words, the grin on Tadashi's face gave no hint of regret.

"After we found out," Wasabi picked up the conversation. "We realized...we've been mediocre friends lately."

"That's not true!" Honey Lemon protested. She stepped forward so she was right in front of her friends. "Listen, last night was just a slip-up, and a lot of it is fixed now. I'm really fine—"

" _Stop_ ," GoGo interrupted. "Stop bottling it up."

"Honey," Wasabi said slowly. "We love all the good vibes you bring whenever you're around. But you don't need to fake it. If you're having a hard time, we want to know so we can help you."

Tadashi stepped around so he was facing Honey Lemon, and put a hand on her shoulder. "We're all going to bring own positivity to the table from now on. I doubt we'll be able to achieve your level of sunshine," His hand moved down her arm to grasp her hand. "But we'll do our best."

GoGo snorted. "I'm not sure I can bring in a lot of mush." Her voice softened in a way that only a select few ever heard. "But there's one rule I'll always stick to: friends take care of each other."

Honey Lemon watched as her friends all nodded agreement. She looked at Tadashi, who smiled and gave her a wink. Her eyes were wide in amazement, and gleaming with tears. "Tadashi...does that mean the scavenger hunt _was_ yours?"

"Actually, that was my idea," Wasabi interjected. "I thought it might be fun."

Honey Lemon laughed. " _Thank you_ , all of you. I…" A few tears escaped from her eyes, and she wiped them away. "I don't know what to say."

"I do." Tadashi released her hand. "Group hug!"

With that, the whole crew crowded around Honey Lemon. Fred got his arms around her first before everyone else piled on, resulting in an enthusiastic, breathtaking hug.

"I could get used to this," Honey Lemon commented, loving the feeling of being embraced by multiple people.

At that, Fred gave her an extra-tight squeeze. "We'll do better, for sure. But we also wanted to start making it up to you, like, now." He released her and batted his hands out in front of the others' faces. "Let goooo! We have to get to the second part!"

The others obliged, and Honey Lemon found herself towed towards a table by the window. Several objects of varying sizes sat on the table. "Second part?"

"Presents!" Fred exclaimed. "But you gotta look at them one at a time. Do mine first, ok? It's on the far left."

Honey Lemon was sure her eyes looked like dinner plates by now. Very wet dinner plates. They were also crinkled at the edges from her ear-to-ear smile. "Ok, Freddie."

Fred's gift consisted of a card and a piece of paper. Honey Lemon picked up the paper, and found that it was a printout of an email message. "What's this?"

"I wrote an email that you can send your professor, to get an extension on your assignment," Fred explained. "I forwarded it to you. Being an English major is pretty useful when writing formal stuff."

Honey Lemon laughed, and set the email down. She picked up the card. Inside was a gift card to a local spa. Honey Lemon's eyebrows shot up, and she turned to face her friends. "Fred, this place is like the most expensive spa in San Fransokyo!" she exclaimed, brandishing the gift card. "How did you afford it?"

Fred smirked. "Family money. My parents are loaded. What?" He asked as everyone gave him a dubious look. "It's true!"

Honey Lemon stared at him a moment longer, before cracking a smile. "Thanks, Freddie; this was really sweet of you. It probably won't last long, now that I have it," she giggled.

She continued down the line of gifts. Next was a huge box of herbal tea blends, including honey lemon tea, from Wasabi. After that came a jumbo pack of strawberry chewing gum. Honey Lemon grinned at GoGo, the resident gum addict, who also knew of Honey Lemon's fondness for the strawberry flavor. Last came a dozen muffins, in a box labeled "Lucky Cat Café." Honey Lemon didn't have to ask to know those were from Tadashi.

"So, what do you think?" Tadashi asked when Honey Lemon turned to face them again.

"I think my birthday and Christmas have both come at once," Honey Lemon laughed. "How can I ever thank you all?"

"By telling us what's going on with you, good or bad," Tadashi said firmly. The others echoed his sentiment.

"What he said."

"Precisely."

"Totally!"

Honey Lemon smiled. "It's a deal."

Gradually everyone filed out, bound for their projects. Honey Lemon was about to follow suit when Tadashi's hand on her arm stopped her. "Honey, I need to tell you something."

Honey Lemon turned to face him, frowning at the guilt in his face. "Yeah?"

"It's about the accident you had last night." Tadashi released her arm to clasp his hands in front of his body. "About the thumping noise that made you mess up your work. I think that noise was me dropping my backpack." He was talking fast, as though saying the words faster would make it easier. "I basically ruined your work and your equipment, and I'm really, really sorry. I want to make it up to you—"

Honey Lemon put a hand over his mouth. "Make it up to me? I think you already did that, and then some, with all this." She gestured to the table full of gifts.

Tadashi shook his head. He took a step back so his mouth was uncovered again. "That was something we all needed to do for you as friends. I want to make up for what _I_ did."

"Tadashi, I've already forgiven you, you don't have to—" This time it was Tadashi's hand over Honey Lemon's mouth.

"Let me put it this way: can I please take you out on a date?" Tadashi's eyes twinkled. He took his hand off Honey Lemon's lips, and used the lack of a barrier to kiss her. He drew back a moment later, but only enough to put a few inches between their faces.

Honey Lemon grinned for what felt like the hundredth time that hour. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse? Meet here after afternoon classes, and then go someplace?"

Tadashi returned her grin, and took a step back. "Anywhere you want."

"Can I keep my gifts in here until then?" Tadashi nodded. "Thanks! Now if you'll excuse me, my _new chemistry set_ is calling," Honey Lemon squealed, bouncing out the door.

She returned to her lab station. She opened her bag and pulled out the key ring that held her house key, and attached her new charms to it. She used her laptop to send the email Fred had drafted. Then she got to work, writing notes on a fresh notebook after each step. A soft smile adorned her face all the while. She remembered most of the components of yesterday's chemical mixture, with only a few gaps to fill in. She might not even need that assignment extension, although it would be a little less stress to handle.

Her _mamí_ always told her, "Life has its storms, and when they come we need to make our own sunshine. We need to make it, and spread it to others as well." But maybe she had said that to be strong, to give happiness and hope to her daughters. Maybe tonight Honey Lemon would have a talk with her. She would thank her mamí for shielding her and Sofía from so many storms. And she would give her own version of the saying: "In life's storms, we have to make sunshine for ourselves and for other people. And, we have to let other people shine back at us."

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

 **My first Big Hero 6 story! This whole fic was the product of two things: being awake at 3 am, and the expression, "The saddest people smile the brightest." Honey Lemon's so full of optimism and enthusiasm that it hardly seems possible. She seemed a likely candidate for someone who stifles their negative emotions.**

 **This fic is also meant as a message. To any person who's struggling, whether with temporary issues or something more serious, know that you are allowed to cry and feel sad and frustrated and any other emotion that is weighing you down. And to people in general: remember to look out for the people in your lives and to make sure they know they can lean on you. Having even one person to count on can make all the difference.**

 **Please leave a review!**


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